Category: Lunch

I’m not going to lie, I’ve never been an autumn/winter person. I am easily dismayed by the onset of darker evenings, constant rain and waking up to a room as cold as the arctic circle. While cosy evenings and scented candles help my seasonal blues to an extent, I feel much more at ease in the summer, when the days are long, the weather is decent even in England and I can go outside without having to brace myself. Many people find this surprising as I lived in Russia for the first nine years of my life (hello -40 degree weather) and while I’ve retained many ‘Russian’ characteristics, my ability to withstand the cold has faded alongside the stereotypical accent.

However, the one thing I adore about autumn is the food. I’m talking everything pumpkin, cinnamon and roasted vegetables. You know that scene in Miranda when she lists all the things she loved about Christmas? Yep, that’s me when it comes to autumn. I had a lot of fun constructing these jars because their simplicity does not compromise that hint of seasonal flavour. As usual, the recipes are vegan friendly, healthy and packed with micronutrients. And of course, eating food from a jar does the trick of making your life that much more Pinterest-worthy. Well, in my case, I cannot make any other aspect of my life suitable for Pinterest except for food: I’ve been frantically reading style blogs to try and bring some coordination into my wardrobe, and the only plant I kept in my room withered away from neglect before I managed to miraculously revive it #almostRIP.

Anyway, while I created a ‘base’ for these jars (e.g. the curry and the tofu), feel free to switch up any of the vegetables and/or dressings, eating them either straight away or storing in the fridge overnight. Many of the ‘components’ can be cooked in bulk for meal-prepping purposes. I am a big fan of spices myself (and thoroughly believe Autumn is all about spices, whether that’s in candles or in edible things – unfortunately, those are mutually exclusive) but you can adjust the amounts in accordance with your own preferences. Before I can ramble on for 365 more words, let’s leap straight into the recipes:

Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Curry in a Jar

Hearty, warm and packed full of spices, this recipe just sings Autumn. Perfect for cold evenings and as a satisfying lunch. Served over a bed of rice and with leafy greens for an extra crunch.

Credit: whatismaria.com

Ingredients

1 cup (228g) butternut squash, chopped into small cubes

1 cup (228g) pumpkin of choice, chopped into small cubes

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 medium onion, diced

1/2 can (200ml) light coconut milk

1/2 can (227ml) canned tomatoes

1.5 cups (355ml) vegetable stock

1/2 cup (50g) green lentils

1 tsp mild curry powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tbsp tomato paste

two large handfuls of kale

1/2 cup (85g) dry sushi rice, to serve

Raw zuccini and spinach, to serve

Directions

Heat either cooking spray or a dash of oil of your choice in a large pot. Add in the pepper, onion, butternut squash and pumpkin, stirring for 3-5 minutes on a medium heat.

Add in the vegetable stock, coconut milk, canned tomatoes, vegetable stock, lentils, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, nutritional yeast and tomato paste. Bring to the boil, before lowering the heat and simmering for 30-35 minutes until the butternut squash and pumpkin are cooked through. Add more water/vegetable stock and salt to taste if necessary. Meanwhile, cook the sushi rice according to instructions in a separate pot.

Add the kale into the curry and stir until wilted.

Assemble the jars: distribute the rice evenly between the jars, before topping with the curry, the raw zuccini and the spinach.

Hello dears! I hope your week has been treating you well so far. Mine has been all over the place. For one, I had to start a new Instagram account (@earthofmariaa) because after experiencing a hack on my last one, nothing was working: my images were being deleted, I wasn’t able to like any photos, etc. After around ten days of trying to fix it, I decided to create a new account, which is upsetting because I worked so hard on my old one but sometimes a fresh start can be a good thing! Let’s hope Instagram won’t let me down this time.

Anyway, I am back with a taco recipe, featuring two different fillings to satisfy every tastebud ever. First we have marinated tempeh, with a spinach bedding and jalapenos for some extra spice (jalapeno has to be one of my favourite words of all time). Next, we have a delicious chickpea and broccoli stir-fry that goes to show you can make tacos work with everything. Drizzle these over with a delicious mango sauce, and you have a Tupperware-friendly lunch or a satisfying family dinner.

(Currently, I am trying to think of tacos to distract myself from thoughts of the humongous spider I found in my room this morning. Is anyone else experiencing a spider epidemic in the UK?! I think it’s time to move planets.)

When I was ill with my eating disorder, tacos were a big ‘fear food’ I had to overcome because the carby wraps scared me. Now I look back and shake my head because carbs are amazing. Especially in taco form. These, in a way, were a celebration of how far I’ve come in terms of not giving two hecks about carbs and calories anymore, simply eating what I want whenever I want to. Continue reading “Vegan Tacos Two Ways ft. Mango Sauce”